IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 key stories from August 8

Here are five Fastmarkets MB stories you might have missed on Thursday August 8 that are worth another look.

The meeting of battery materials market participants at Antaike’s Battery Materials conference in Guiyang, China, came just as news broke of Glencore’s plan to put one of its copper-cobalt mines on care and maintenance – Fastmarkets covers the Chinese market reaction and other topics of discussion at the conference on August 7-8.

Scrap metal cargoes from Japan have been refused entry into South Korea over the past two weeks after the country’s customs started asking for certificates to prove radiation levels, sources told Fastmarkets.

German copper refiner Aurubis Group has forecast a continued weakening of the European copper market in its latest financial statement, indicating a significant dent to earnings as a result of subdued copper demand across the continent.

China’s domestic stainless steel prices increased over the past week amid unabated concerns over Indonesia’s export ban for unprocessed nickel ore, which is set to come into effect in 2022.

The spot price for gallium in China’s domestic market edged up on Wednesday August 7 after suppliers were unwilling to sell cargoes below 1,000 yuan ($142) per kg in response to announced production halts by major producers in the country.

What to read next
Brazilian aluminium supply coming from Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA) is said to have tightened, helping to boost the P1020A ingot premium, market participants told Fastmarkets in the two weeks to Wednesday April 24
In anticipation of a tight market, copper concentrate traders have locked in 2025 volumes at notably low treatment charges, with deals being placed well below the long-term industry benchmarks
This move aligns with global demands for sustainability in the mining sector and sets Nexa on a path toward achieving net zero emissions by 2050
Fastmarkets has corrected the pricing rationale for MB-AL-0302 aluminium 6063 extrusion billet premium, ddp North Germany (Ruhr region), $/tonne, which was published incorrectly on Friday April 19. No prices were corrected.
The low-carbon aluminium differential in the US made its first move on Friday April 5 since Fastmarkets launched it five months ago.
Brazil's aluminium industry is further enhancing its sustainability by boosting renewable energy use and recycling, while mitigating risk from high-carbon imports